How to Create Sustainable Exhibitions: Sharp's Journey to Reduce CO2 Emissions by 40%

 To protect a sustainable world, companies worldwide are working to reduce CO2 emissions.

On September 17 and 18, 2024, Sharp's private technology exhibition, "SHARP Tech-Day'24 'Innovation Showcase'" (hereinafter "SHARP Tech-Day'24"), was held at the Tokyo International Forum.

Now in its second year since 2023, this event aimed to be even more sustainable than before.

with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions and waste generated from setup to dismantling by 40% compared to last year.

and implemented various environmentally conscious initiatives.

Was this ambitious 40% reduction target achieved? The results were remarkable.

We spoke with Riku Doi from Sharp's Brand Strategy Promotion Department and Jiro Higashihiro from Dentsu Live Inc., who handled event production and CO2 emission measurement and reduction measures, about the significance of Sharp's challenge.

<TABLE of Contents>

▼Sharp Aims to Shift the Tide of Sustainability

▼What is Dentsu Live Inc.'s "Event Carbon Package" with its 5 Phases?

▼Results Far Exceeded the Goal, but the Challenge Has Only Just Begun!

Sharp Wants to Shift the Tide of Sustainability

──Please introduce yourselves.

Doi: I belong to Sharp's Brand Strategy Promotion Department. As part of enhancing brand value, I primarily handle event planning, production, construction, and operations. For SHARP Tech-Day '24, I was involved in all phases from planning to operations alongside partner companies including Dentsu Live Inc.

Higashi: As a producer at Dentsu Live Inc., I support corporate communications centered around events and spaces. I was also in charge of SHARP Tech-Day last year. This year, from a sustainability support perspective, I worked with members of our internal "Sustainable Event Research Group" project to implement CO2 measurement and reduction measures.

──What kind of event is SHARP Tech-Day?

Doi: It's a technology exhibition for clients and partners, launched in 2023 to mark Sharp's 111th anniversary. Its purpose is to showcase Sharp's vision for the future through exhibits and presentations, aiming to foster new co-creation. For this second iteration, we introduced implementation concepts and real-world examples of Sharp's latest technologies across various fields, including "AI," "EV (electric vehicles)," home appliances, communications, and industry.

Furthermore, given Sharp's commitment to advancing ESG management, we aimed to make this exhibition more sustainable than ever before.
The specific numerical target set was "a 40% reduction in CO2 emissions and waste volume from construction to dismantling compared to last year." This goal was announced in the event release issued by the company, declaring its commitment to environmental consideration.

Holding "SHARP Tech-Day'24 'Innovation Showcase'"

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──40% is quite an impactful figure. Could you share the challenges that led to setting this target?

Doi: At previous events we participated in, we witnessed a gap: while various booths proclaimed "We contribute to sustainability and carbon neutrality!", companies discarded large amounts of wood fixtures and other materials during post-event dismantling. Faced with this somewhat contradictory situation, voices within Sharp asked, "Isn't there more we can do?"

In fact, at the previous year's (2023) SHARP Tech-Day'23, there were many custom-made wooden display fixtures, and a large amount of waste was generated during dismantling. This led to internal discussions about "first, let's reduce waste." Dentsu Live Inc. also assisted with last year's SHARP Tech-Day, so you witnessed this situation firsthand, right?

Higashi: Yes. Within Dentsu Live Inc., which handles many events beyond just Sharp, there was a growing momentum to raise awareness about creating more 'sustainable events.' We strongly resonated with Sharp's sense of urgency. It would be a shame if a company that seriously tackles environmental considerations and energy-saving issues in its core business didn't directly confront these problems at events, which are key touchpoints with users.

Doi: Sharp also felt strongly that this shouldn't be viewed as just a one-off event for a single company. We wanted to use the next SHARP Tech-Day as an opportunity to shift the tide toward sustainability in events. This significant vision aligned perfectly with Dentsu Live Inc.

──Could you explain the background of collaborating with Dentsu Live Inc. and the division of roles for this event?

Doï: First, we solidified the core framework plan for the event internally at Sharp. Then, we received proposals from several companies. Among them, Dentsu Inc. and Dentsu Live Inc. stood out for their high level of experience in the sustainability field and their ability to best meet our requirements. We felt they could think from the same perspective as Sharp. Dentsu Inc. and Dentsu Live Inc. supported us throughout most of the event's stages—from the initial planning outline, material procurement, setup, on-site operations, dismantling, to evaluating the set goals.

Higashi: For events of this scale, it's common to have multiple event companies handle different parts rather than one company managing everything. In fact, for last year's Tech-Day, Sharp placed separate orders with companies like Nomura Kogei and the Dentsu Group. However, CO2 reduction was a major theme this time. Therefore, we were advised that "having one company oversee the entire project, including budget management, would likely make it easier to control the amount of CO2 reduced." Consequently, the Dentsu Group was entrusted with handling all aspects of the event's operation and construction.

Incidentally, Nomura Kogei is also a participating company in the "Sustainable Event Council," so aligning perspectives on this policy was extremely smooth.

*Sustainable Event Council:
https://www.dentsulive.co.jp/column/20240216

Doi: While Sharp outsourced some aspects like product transportation to other partner companies, Dentsu Live Inc. and the Dentsu Group essentially steered the overall direction.

──Was the target of "reducing CO2 emissions and waste volume from construction to dismantling by 40% compared to last year" a figure decided through discussions between Sharp and Dentsu Live Inc.

Doi: Yes. Initially, Sharp wanted to "quantify the goal to make it catchy." When we discussed this with Mr. Higashi and the Dentsu Live Inc. team, they proposed, "Should we quantify the CO2 reduction target?"

Higashi: We were confident that with proper planning, significant reductions were achievable. That said, our initial proposal actually suggested a "20% reduction." But then Sharp approached us asking, "Can we aim for 40% instead?"

Doi: That was to push ourselves harder (laughs). Setting a truly challenging target for Sharp—one that was a concrete number leaving no room for escape—was paramount to embodying our desire to "change the tide of sustainability efforts in events."

What is Dentsu Live Inc.'s "Event Carbon Package," consisting of five phases?

──After deciding on the CO2 reduction initiative, what steps did you take?

Higashi: To execute the initiative more effectively, we proposed an action flow called the "Event Carbon Package."

Higashi: First, we needed to meticulously measure the exact amount of CO2 emissions and waste generated at the previous year's SHARP Tech-Day'23. This revealed that the bottlenecks for CO2 reduction were "transportation," "labor costs," and "construction/fabrication."

"Last time, a large amount of wood was discarded, so that seems like an area we can improve."

"Since Sharp, headquartered in Osaka, holds events in Tokyo, CO2 emissions from transportation balloon significantly. How should we address this?"

We discussed these points and developed concrete reduction proposals.

Since Sharp is a manufacturing company, ideas from each business division initially became too expansive, causing construction costs to exceed the budget. Mr. Doi struggled with that, right? We at Dentsu Live Inc. also shared with everyone, "This year's theme is sustainability."

Doi: At first, everyone just says whatever they want (laughs). As Mr. Higashi mentioned, we're a manufacturing company, so we're very particular about creativity. Sacrificing quality for sustainability is something everyone resists. That's why we asked Mr. Higashi and his team to help us find a good compromise between "making great products" and "minimizing CO2 and waste."

Among our decisions, the policy to "reduce waste from display fixtures" was established early on. Instead of custom-made, original fixtures, we opted to use "rental system fixtures (standardized, mass-produced fixtures)." This approach ultimately fostered a mindset within the company: "People are drawn to flashy things, but let's compete on substance."

Higashi: That said, using only system fixtures inevitably leads to a uniform appearance. Creating impact for visitors remained a major challenge. We overcame this hurdle because Sharp's design team relentlessly pursued effective ways to showcase products using system fixtures, refusing to compromise until the very end.

Doï: Ultimately, we settled on a hybrid approach: not using system fixtures for every exhibit, but building custom design fixtures from scratch only for the areas we wanted to really showcase. However, we designed these custom fixtures with reuse in mind for other events. For example, since CEATEC 2024 was scheduled immediately after this event, we reused the custom fixtures. It was truly great to set a precedent of not letting something we worked hard to create end after just one event.

Higashi: While the fixtures symbolize our efforts, they alone wouldn't achieve our ambitious numerical targets. This time, we realized significant CO2 reductions by rethinking various "fundamentals."

First, we reduced the event duration from three days to two. We also changed the venue from Tokyo Big Sight the previous year to the Tokyo International Forum, which offers better access from central Tokyo, thereby reducing "transportation" and "travel." Furthermore, we strictly enforced producing items at the event location in Tokyo, rather than manufacturing them at Sharp's Osaka headquarters and then transporting them to Tokyo.

──So to seriously tackle sustainability, you boldly changed the fundamental aspects.

Higashi: And it wasn't just about hitting the numbers. We were very conscious of environmental considerations even in areas not reflected in the figures. For example, we switched the water distributed to attendees during presentations from plastic bottles to paper cartons. These cartons are returned to the manufacturer and recycled into toilet paper.

Doi: Furthermore, for name holders—essentials at B2B events—we adopted ones made from 100% recycled plastic. We also used uniforms made from recycled fibers for our staff.

We achieved results far exceeding our goals, but the challenge has only just begun!

──After the event, please tell us about the results and feedback from this initiative.

Higashi: First, the volume of waste removed after the event changed significantly. Waste that reached 77m³ in 2023 dropped to 18m³ this year. This result was greatly influenced by our policy of not discarding design fixtures but reusing them for other events.

Additionally, CO2 emissions related to the event were reduced from 301.33 tons to 97 tons, and waste volume decreased from 41.5 tons to 8.03 tons. In other words, "CO2 emissions were reduced by 67.8%" and "waste volume was reduced by 80.4%." Both CO2 and waste volume achieved reductions far exceeding our target of a 40% decrease compared to the previous year.

──A 67.8% reduction! Considering the initial 20% target, this is a truly impactful result.

Higashi: While there's the option of "carbon offsetting" – investing in others' reduction activities to compensate if targets aren't met – I'm truly glad we achieved this solely through our own efforts without resorting to that.

Doi: This proves that CO2 reduction is achievable when you commit wholeheartedly. It wasn't just about cutting numbers; we never compromised on design and kept refining until the end. This became a successful experience that gives us confidence as Sharp, a manufacturer.

Another major takeaway was realizing that sustainable initiatives don't succeed through one company alone. Involving partners and surrounding stakeholders generates significant results.

Through this project, I truly felt the high level of execution capability at Dentsu Live Inc. and the Dentsu Group. It was incredibly valuable to have partners who didn't just focus on cost or quality, but genuinely aligned with our direction and saw things through to the end.

Higashi: Thank you! This collaboration truly aligns with SDG 17: "Partnerships for the Goals," doesn't it? As event production professionals, we were deeply inspired by Sharp's genuine passion and gave it our all.

Doi: We're also proud to have embodied Sharp's management philosophy of "Sincerity and Creativity." Of course, the most fundamental "sincerity" for Sharp is creating excellent products for our customers. But beyond that, "designing beautiful events while considering the global environment" is also sincerity. That this sincerity also led to "creativity" – like the hybrid approach of rental system fixtures and original design fixtures – holds great significance for us.

Higashi: I'm truly delighted that Sharp's efforts are helping make the world a better place and revitalizing the planet.

──Please share your outlook on future CO2 reduction efforts.

Doï: We will certainly continue this activity, but the crucial part lies ahead. Since we achieved significant reductions this year, repeating the same actions next year won't yield a "40% reduction compared to the previous year." We must avoid being fixated on the "impact of the numbers" and instead carefully consider setting new, grounded goals.

We'll refine specific measures going forward, but right now, our priority is to spread the significance of this initiative to Sharp employees and our customers. We want everyone to share the understanding that "participating in this event has a positive impact on the planet." Together with our employees and customers, we aim to explore the next goals we should achieve.

Higashi: I believe Sharp's initiatives will significantly influence other companies. Dentsu Live Inc. also aims to pursue sustainable events with various companies. To achieve this, establishing common rules to make CO2 reduction easier for companies is crucial. For example, the Japan Association for the Promotion of the Event Industry (JACE), where Dentsu Live Inc. members are also affiliated, is currently working to standardize new evaluation criteria for eco-materials.

──What exactly are these eco-material evaluation standards?

Higashi: Currently, when evaluating the environmental impact of any material, we use "coefficients" created by the Ministry of the Environment. However, newly developed materials often lack published coefficients, so we end up having to evaluate them based on "cost incurred." And since new materials are generally more expensive, even eco-friendly ones end up being calculated as having higher CO2 emissions.

This means that even companies developing truly excellent new materials see their sustainable efforts go unrewarded. Recognizing this as problematic, JACE has also identified it as an issue, and efforts to resolve this contradiction are now underway.

──As seen with this SHARP Tech-Day, the key is focusing on solving fundamental problems rather than getting caught up in immediate numbers.

Higashi: I agree. At Dentsu Live Inc., we also aim to broaden the understanding of "sustainability" in events beyond just the environment, encompassing all aspects. Promoting diversity should be recognized as one such aspect, and we believe it must be done.

Doi: At Sharp, we also see diversity as an increasingly vital keyword. For instance, at tech-related exhibitions in the U.S., you see many people using wheelchairs and oxygen tanks. The "inclusive" mindset, where everyone respects each other regardless of diverse attributes or disability status, has taken root early in the U.S. Sharp wants to spearhead efforts to help Japan become such a society. We constantly strive to do things that make people think, "Sharp is doing interesting initiatives," hoping this will lead to a shift in people's awareness.